Respectful Relationships

[This type of program] will stop the system; boys growing up thinking they should be the more dominant person in the relationship.

– Student

This generation of Victorian children and young people can expect to learn about how to build safe and respectful relationships with their families, friends and communities.

The new Victorian Curriculum, which began in 2017, strengthens the role of Respectful Relationships education in schools. This is supported by a suite of teaching resources recently released by the University of Melbourne. These resources cover 8 social emotional learning topics, including:

help-seeking

decision-making

positive gender relationships.

We ran a successful Respectful Relationships trial in 19 schools across the state in 2016. The trial showed us that the program led to clear improvements in building student and staff knowledge. It also improved attitudes and confidence in discussing issues of violence, equality and respectful relationships.

We will train up to 4,000 early childhood educators in respectful relationships education so that positive role modelling begins early and has the best chance of making a lasting impact.

Case study: Lucy

Lucy is a Year 10 student who loves football. Her school doesn't have a girls' team and she experiences abuse from the boys in her class.

In the future, Lucy can expect support from all of her peers to pursue her passion for sports.